Focus

Pay attention to the tension in your body. Let go of it and any expectations to do anything other than God’s will today. Prepare yourself to hear God’s word.

Read

Lamentations 3:19-26 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

The thought of my affliction and my homelessness
is wormwood and gall!

My soul continually thinks of it
and is bowed down within me.

But this I call to mind,
and therefore I have hope:

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases,
his mercies never come to an end;

they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.

“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
“therefore I will hope in him.”

The Lord is good to those who wait for him,
to the soul that seeks him.

It is good that one should wait quietly
for the salvation of the Lord.

Reflect

The background of this passage was when the Babylonians had seized Jerusalem and burned it to the ground. They had captured to enslave its inhabitants transporting them back to Babylon. The only ones left behind were the old and the poor. Homeless with no means of support or care. The grief and misery that encompassed the remnant was more than some could bear, but the writer held onto to hope when everything seemed hopeless encouraging others to do the same.

We have circumstances in our lives where we feel the situation is hopeless. There are those whose homes have been destroyed by fire with nowhere to go. Families have been separated by death, alcohol, drugs, etc. The emotional grief and misery is just as great as when the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem and the Jews’ homeland. To wait quietly for the Lord’s salvation means to not grumble, murmur, or throwing fits. It means to prayerfully wait for the Lord to bring about a change and a blessing. No matter how faithless we have been in our circumstances, there is always a new beginning. Through grace, God is faithful to forgive. Through faith, we receive his grace and blessings. Believe

Pray

Most Gracious Heavenly Father forgive me when my circumstances are overwhelming and I can see no light at the end of the tunnel. Thank you for your faithfulness in your covenant with us. I believe, help my unbelief. In Jesus’s name, amen.

Go with God!